Although I didn't get to fish as much as I would for salmon this fall with football obligations, it only makes me look foward for the upcoming opportunities that await later this season. I didn't get to venture into the Michigan northwoods to fish the Platte, Bestie or Pere Marquette rivers, nor the rivers that flow through the farmcountry of Ontario's western Lake Huron shoreline or anywhere else in the Great Lakes. Well, what can you do??

My adventure starts soon, and the quest is for lake run browns and steelhead that already have ascended our rivers. While the browns and salmon spawn, the steelhead take advantage of the feeding orgy they is availible. Dislodged eggs are everywhere, and steelhead will stage in pockets and flats behind the gravel and gorge themselves just as rainbows do in Alaska as they await drifting eggs behind sockeyes. It is a blast targeting these fish. Lake run browns also take advantage of this event, as they too will often hold behind the salmon before they spawn.

Usually bright, attractive eggs work best, but as the season progresses, gaudy and off colored eggs will be key. The best way to present your patterns to the fish are with a floating line and indicator, or a sink tip setup. Spey rods can be useful in maintaing long drifts and fighting fish. Sometimes you may have to use 6lb tippet or lower....in this circumstance, I prefer flourocarbon. Also, be sure to have many different type of eggs in your flybox. Halo, Nuke, Globug, Estaz, Kystal, sucker spawn, and the many variations of eggs can be effective. Also, have many colors and sizes as well. I run a tandem rig with a bright egg usually and a duller egg behind it.